SEASONAL WEATHER IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

When describing seasonal weather in any location, abnormal weather is expected from time to time. Generally the weather can be forecast by season and the majority of the days within the period are consistent subject to El Nino or La Nina variations.

San Diego County offers some of the best flying weather in the United States. We enjoy few days of severe weather and the temperature throughout the year is very moderate.

SPRING

Generally the temperatures will range from lows in the upper 50's to highs in the lower 70's. Rain can occur during the first part of the season, but the storms generally move through the area quickly. Toward the end of the season, rains begin to diminish. During late Spring, the beach areas and inland valleys will have night and morning low clouds and fog which usually clear by mid day. This weather typically only effects private pilot students on solo flights. If the condition is persistent, we move students to inland airports to complete their solo flights.

SUMMER

Temperatures will range from lows in the upper 60's to highs along the coastline in the mid to upper 70's. The high temperatures inland reach the upper 80's to 90's. Temperatures over 100 degrees are possible inland. Generally the summer humidity is low with the exception of occasional "tropical" moisture arriving from Mexico. This typically occurs in August. Low clouds and fog can typically appear during the first part of summer. Rain is almost non-existent during the summer with the exception of the remnants of an occasional tropical storm from the Pacific Ocean.

FALL

Fall is an outstanding season for flight training. Rain is again almost non-existent with the exception of an occasional storm at the end of the season. On occasion, we can have the development of strong off shore winds (Santa Ana Winds) during the later part of the season. Winds at the coastline are generally moderate, however, winds along the mountains and mountain passes can be very strong and undesirable for flight training. Temperatures range from lows in the lower 60's to highs in the 70's. During Santa Ana Wind conditions the high temperatures can increase into the 80's and 90's due to the compression of air.

WINTER

Weather conditions can vary considerably during winter. It is dependent upon how frequently a cold front marches through our area. We can have occasional rain with lows in the upper 30's and 40's with highs in the upper 50's and 60's. In many cases, rainy weather is not severe and the freezing levels are high permitting an excellent instrument training environment. Inland areas can have temperatures below freezing in the morning hours. We can also have unbelievable winter weather without rain and high temperatures into the 80's. Santa Ana winds are also possible especially in the beginning of the season. This season seems to be most influenced by the El Nino or La Nina long range weather forecasts.